In air conditioning systems, condensation normally collects on the evaporator coil, runs off and has to be disposed of. In some units it is possible to dispose of the condensate via a drain or the like. In other units, such as room air conditioners, it is common to direct the condensate to the condenser side for automatic disposal and for improved condenser capacity and energy efficiency rating (EER) improvement. Common condensate distribution schemes include vortex impellers or aspirators, slingers, pumps and fan blade tips impinging the condensate. In window room air conditioners (WRACs) and packaged terminal air conditioners (PTACs), it is most common to use a slinger arrangement associated with the condenser fan. In a typical slinger arrangement a blow-through propeller fan coil configuration is used and the condensate collects at a location where the fan structure causes the condensate to be splashed onto the condenser coil where it is evaporated thereby, providing cooling to the condenser. A conventional slinger is located at the fan blade tips on the discharge (high pressure) side of the fan.
As applied to room air conditioners, prior art designs which incorporate slinger rings on the discharge side of the condenser fan are both noisy and inefficient. In these slinger designs, the high pressure on the discharge side of the fan drives the condensate towards the fan inlet, out of the path of the slinger, thereby limiting the effectiveness of the design. There is a tendency for pulsation of the condensate flow due to fluctuations in the condensate level. Further, the discharge slinger constrains the diffusion of air flow thereby reducing the aerodynamic performance of the fan. These prior art designs often have problems with splash out at the orifice inlet.